Comfort Food!! Broccoli Cheese Soup!

I don't know if the new moon we just had has anything to do with it, but today was nuts! We had barely left the house to go to work when we ran into traffic snarls, several of them, and my coworkers and I couldn't even get the doors open before we had people in the shop. It didn't let up all day, either! It seemed like I had just gotten done with the things that I Had to do today when it was time to get ready to close up and go home! If there was ever a night for fast, easy and tasty, it was tonight.

Don't get me wrong: I love food that shows that there was some preparation involved. I knew I was in trouble when on our first date, my now husband cooked this amazing and really structural dinner of oven roasted sweet potato wedges which he stacked with seared garlic asparagus which was then topped with pan seared salmon fillets in a lemon dill reduction. Can you blame me for marrying him?? But you know what? About once a week (more if it's cold out) I'll ask him what he'd like for dinner and he asks for soup and sandwiches. Am I a lucky girl or what?!

Soup is such a great way of using up bits of stuff you've got in the fridge where you might not have enough to do a side with, or it's starting to approach a dodgy status. It can also be super (ha!) quick and simple. Not sure I'd plan a bouillabaise for a Wednesday night after all day at work, but broccoli cheese soup with toasted bacon and tomato sandwiches were on the table in less than 40 minutes, and that in part because we have a crappy toaster.

 

 

Quick Broccoli "Cheese" Soup

• 4 tablespoons fat of your choice (oil, marg, Earth Balance or whatever you prefer)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 1 lg head of broccoli, chopped
• 1 lb of "cheese", cubbed
• 1 cup of "milk" (I use almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon of thickener (corn starch or arrowroot powder) + 1 tablespoon water
• Fresh ground pepper

Very simply, chop up the onion and sautee it in the fat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the 4 cups of stock (this is soooo easy to make vegan!) and the chopped up broccoli, and allow to heat through on a medium to mdium high heat setting, 5-10 minutes depending on how soft you like your broccoli.

 

 

Cut your "cheese" into cubes, and add them to your pot along with 1 cup of "milk", and allow to melt on medium heat (without letting it come to a boil) until it is combined.

 

 

 Warm, creamy, quick and relatively healthy. Throw in  couple of sammies, and dinner is served!